The Winter Meetings are winding down and unfortunately, there has been little in the way of buzz regarding the Atlanta Braves. They still haven't added a starter, outfielder, or bullpen help and the biggest piece of Braves news from the offseason extravaganza was when Max Fried left to join the Yankees. To say that Atlanta fans are disappointed at the moment is an understatement.
However, the Winter Meetings are as much about starting conversations as it is about actually closing deals. Yes, there were some big time moves made, but there is still a lot of offseason left with players at a variety of price points still available. Given Alex Anthopoulos' track record, it feels likely that the Braves aren't going to just stand pat heading into 2025.
That tracks with what we are hearing in the wake of the blockbuster Garrett Crochet trade. According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, the Braves were among the five finalists to land Crochet which means that, if the deal and player is right, Atlanta could take a big swing this offseason.
The final 5 finalists in the Garrett Crochet trade talks before the Chicago White Sox traded him:
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 12, 2024
Boston Red Sox: (who landed him)
Atlanta
New York Yankees
Cincinnati Reds
Philadelphia Phillies
Braves News: Atlanta was among the five finalists to land Garrett Crochet
That the Braves coveted Garrett Crochet is not news. Atlanta could use another starter with Charlie Morton likely gone and Fried definitely gone, but it was questionable as to whether or not the Braves had enough prospect capital to actually get a deal done. With Nightengale's reporting, we now know that not only was Atlanta interested in a trade, but they damn near pulled it off before Boston came in with a massive prospect package thanks to their very good farm system to close the deal.
This is a reminder that while many big market contenders leak their intentions constantly to appease fans and "play the game" in the media, the Braves do anything but that. Anthopoulos is notorious for playing things a quietly as possible with few having any idea what he has in store until the press release comes out that he's done it.
All of that said, the Braves' options to address their roster are beginning to dwindle. Popular Braves targets like Crochet, Nathan Eovaldi, and of course Fried are off the market and now that Juan Soto's is signed, the market could move quickly. Perhaps the Braves' next move is signing Jurickson Profar and then pursuing an outside-the-box trade for a starter not dissimilar to the Chris Sale trade last offseason.
Knowing the Braves and this front office, the one thing we can almost guarantee is that they have something up their sleeve and they have already demonstrated that they aren't afraid to make a splash.